Activity: Frugal innovation This is an approach to innovation which is based on the principle of simplification – finding solutions to a problem which solve the problem but without adding unnecessary costs or adding unwanted functions. A description can be found in the ‘Deep dive’ section of the Portal and some case examples include

Frugal innovation is a term increasingly used to describe an approach to innovation which is simple and sustainable. It grew out of experiences in locations where shortages of key resources required ingenious solutions to problems and where the simplicity of such innovations permits their widespread diffusion.

This report describes a number of case studies of companies participating in the WWF Climate Savers programme and the changes this has led to in their operations in China. Companies include: Lafarge, Volvo, Nokia Siemens Networks, Fairmount Hotels, TetraPak, Sony Click here for the report:ISPIM wwf 2012 april30

MPESA case This is a case study of the development of mobile money in Kenya, a social and commercial innovation which is transforming the way in which the financial system operates. There is a good case study describing the use of M-PESA in a humanitarian context in Kenya available here. The abstract of this case appears

This case describes the emergence of a social enterprise. The origin of the organization was in providing low cost radios to improve education and communication amongst disadvantaged populations and this was reflected in the earlier name, Freeplay. Currently the organization provides a wide variety of support in the field – see their website for more

In the developing world, access to incubators is limited by cost and distance, and millions of premature babies die each year. In this TEDTalk video Jane Chen shows an invention that could keep millions of these infants warm — a design that’s safe, portable, low-cost and life-saving.